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Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board has called for a nationwide ban on personal electronic device use while operating a motor vehicle.

The recommendation to outlaw non-emergency personal electronic device use while driving includes all U.S drivers. During a Dec. 13 press conference, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman clarified that the recommendation did not include a ban on devices meant to “support a driving task,” such as GPS navigation devices.

The decision was announced at a NTSB meeting on Dec. 13 that was scheduled to determine the probable cause of a highway incident involving two school buses that killed two people and injured 38. The pickup driver who caused the crash had sent and received 11 text messages in the 11 minutes preceding the incident, NTSB concluded.

The safety recommendation also urges use of high-visibility enforcement to support a ban, as well as the implementation of communication campaigns to inform motorists of heightened enforcement, according to NTSB.

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The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.